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After settling Graveler in, or unsettling him, or. . .whatever this was going to turn out to be. . .Photon stomped his way back to Charles' office and banged the door open, slamming it behind him.

"Yes you will." Charles spoke without even looking up from his typing at the computer.


"I HAVE my ---"


"You will lower your voice as to not alarm the guards outside. You will train him weekly for two hour sessions. And you will do it, or I will pull you out of your assignment. It is two hours a week. Surely you can spare that time."

"You will cause me to blow my cover, an' then all the work that I've done up to this time's gonna be gone, 'nd I'M JUST about ready to find out somethin' an'. . ."

"Your reports don't indicate that you've found anything of interest except a bunch of clowns that you like to fool around with! And that's YOUR interest, not ours, Andrew! It's two hours a week, and you WILL be here. That is all."


"What d'ya need me for? I done everythin' you asked for, I went out an' got the lady, and even brought him in, AN' I went out to the girl AN' done other stuff. Susan trains t'best, and all she does is say how rotten I am at it, I'm not SUITED for it! Charles, I'm in my element NOW. Can't you see that?"

"How many poor people d'ya know that can just disappear for two hours? I can't! I got stuff to do, Charles. I'm not trainin' that much with him. What d'ya need it for? Susan's perfect!"

Photon glared, "He has not. He doesn't take to anyone, if you had been paying attention to him, you would have noticed that. Two hours monthly. "

Photon's eyes narrowed, "This isn't a marketplace to bargain at. I can spare two hours."

"I am DOING my job!" Photon burst out, "I'm doin' all I can, but apparently you ain't happy 'til you've done overbooked everyone so they screw up all their jobs given! I ain't like you, Charles, I gotta have time for myself as well! I ain't sacrificing my days off for you!"

Photon's frowned. While things had been getting tense between him and Charles, he had not really had an outright fight with him. He'd always been to frightened to do so, but he'd been gone awhile, and he'd been living in a rough neighborhood, and instead of backing down all the time, he had learned to fight for simple survival.

"Ya have other people trained fer that. What do you really want?" He asked, "Susan ain't the only one, and if you wanna stagger him with other powers 'nd personalities, that's easy, 'nd we know it. 'Nd we know that I ain't no kind of trainer. This is about you wantin' to watch me like I ain't worth trusting. Fine, whatever." He waved his hand then turned to leave, "As you wish, your majesty." And something completely new for the young man, he growled those last words.

Photon waited until... well, until he had driven away a good hour before he called Charles back on the phone, "I quit." He told him sourly, "'Cause I ain't taking this job crap from you no more." Then he threw the cellphone out the window.

Take that, maniac boss man.

Dear Andy, you can't can your job. When you signed up, you sold your soul. Gleefully, Charles

Finding himself sitting BACK at the NSA quarters a few hours later was what Andy had expected, but he wasn't thrilled by it. Nor was he quite giving off an angry or arrogant air. He was back to being that horse-whipped boy that everyone knew him as. When Charles saw him, he'd see that immediately. He was here, he was trapped, and he was again going to let himself get beat up. Because, well, when you've gone and sold your soul, what choice do you have?

Run while you can, Graveler. Run.